Twin celled carrier

ABSTRACT

The invention herein relates to a double-celled bottle carrier in which the cells have hexagonal cross sections and are separated by an integral divider spine. The carrier of the invention is erected from a collapsed tube and includes a centrally hinged two-ply longitudinal panel which spans the cells and interlocks with the divider spine to form the carton bottom.

United States Patent Raymond A. Cote Doraville, Ga

[21] -Appl. No. 789,469

[22] Filed Jan. 7, 1969 [45] Patented Aug. 31, 1971 [73] Assignee Rlegel Paper Comapny New York, N.Y.

[72] Inventor TWIN cuusn CARRIER 4' Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

1 220/113 [51] Int. Cl 865d 75/00 [50] Field oiSearch 220/110,

[56] References Cited- UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,575,654 11/1951 Casler Rothstein Arneson Eoi'rer Ringler... Ring'ler... Forrer Primary Examiner-Joseph R. Leclair Assistant Examiner.lames R. Garrett Attorney-M'andeville and Schweitzer bottom.

- cells and interlocks with the divider spine to form the carton PATENIED AUBSI I97; 3,602,392

sum 2 or 2 INVENTOR RAYMOND A. COTE ATTORNEYS WM rfM TWIN CELLED CARRIER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The multiple-celled carrier art is highly developed and contains a plethora of carton constructions, many of which have had widespread commercial acceptance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an improvement in twocelled carriers, and more specifically, to a carrier having twin hexagonal cells connected together ina back-to-back relation to form a common carton spine. The carton spine forms a carrying handle and includes a notch which interlocks with a novel hinged bottom spanning panel which extends across the carton. The new carton is formed from a collapsed tube, the squaring of which automatically draws the bottom spanning panel into its proper plane.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS celled carton tube embodying the inventive principles;

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of a carton erected from the tube of FIG. 3 and embodying the invention;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the carton of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view of the bottom interlock of the carton of FIG. 5 taken along line 6-6 thereof;

and

' FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view showing an alternative bottom interlock.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIG. 1, a Siamese twin" blank 10 from which the new carton 11 (FIG. 4) may be erected includes a pair of identical cell forming sections 12, 12' joined at a common line 14. Since the sections 12, 12 are mirror images or twins of one another, section 12' need not be described in detail. For convenience, the twin" elements will all be identified by primed reference numerals used to identify elements of section 12.

The cell forming section 12 includes sidewall panel 15, sidewall panel 16, end wall panel 17, sidewall panel 18, sidewallpanel I9, spine panel 20, and glue flap 21 consecutively articulated along parallel vertical score lines 22-27. As shown, each of the panels -20 is of equal width, and theupper edges of panels 15-19 are concavely arcuate, giving a generally scalloped edge appearance.

The arcuate upper edge of panel 19 is defined by a series of cuts or comparable perforated line 28 which separates a handle panel 29 therefrom. The handle panel 29 includes a finger aperture 30 and a finger flap 31 articulated therein. As shown, the handle panel 29 is articulated to the upper portions 32 of the spine panel along the score line 26 in a manner whereby the aperture 30 will register with a similar aperture 33 in the spine panel when the handle panel is folded into a face-to-face relation therewith.

At a lowermost bottom corner of the spine panel, a locking notch 35 is defined by a locking nose projection 36 which extends slightly below the lower horizontal edge of the panel 27. Articulated to the lower edge 13 of the end panel 17 is a generally rectangular bottom panel 37 which is articulated to its twin" panel 37 along a hinge line 14. The panels 37, 37 include beveled edges 38, 38 which cooperate to define a locking notch 39 which interlocks with the locking notches 35, 35' in a manner described hereinafter. A rectangular reinforcing panel 40, which is separated from the lower edge of the panel 16 by cutout portion 41, is articulated to the bottom panel 37 along the score line 23. v

In accordance with the invention, a collapsed carton tube, from which the new carton may be simply erected, is formed by adhering (by glue 45 or other suitable securing means) panel 15 to glue flap 21; by adhering reinforcing flap 40 to bottom panel 37; and by adhering the handle panel 29 to the spine panel 20. The results of these steps are best shown in FIG. 2. Thereafter, the collapsed tube 50 (FIG. 3) is completed by folding the lower cell forming section 12 about the intermediate score line 14 and into superimposition with the cell forming section 12 and mutually adhering the spine panels 20, 20 to form a rigid central carton spine.

The new and improved carrier of the invention may be erected with ease by a packager merely by squaring" or opening the collapsed cells by swinging the score lines 23, 23' away from one another. This action will tend to form a pair of six-sided cells and will automatically draw the hinged bottom panels 37, 37 into the bottom plane of the carton. The backto-back locking notches 35, 35' may then be simplyinterlocked with the locking notch 39 formed by the bottom panels 37, 37' (FIG. 6) to complete the carton. If desired, the locking nose projections 36 36 may be folded or otherwise flattened into the bottom horizontal plane of the carton. It will be appreciated that other interlock configurations may be employed with efficacy. For example, and as shown in FIG. 7, a

canted locking notch 60 may be formed in the spine panel 20 above its lower edge for interlocking with the bottom panel It will be appreciated that the new two-celled carrier provides an attractive, simple to erect, and especially strong carrier for a pair of bottles or other articles B (indicated in phantom in FIGS; 4 and 5). The unusual rigidity and strength of the new carton are imparted thereto through the double ply spine configuration which is of four-ply thickness at its uppermost handle or carrying portions 32, and by the double ply automatic bottom.

It should be understood that the specific forms of the invention herein illustrated and described are intended to be representative only, as certain changes may be made therein without departing from the clear teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following appended claims in determining the full scope of the invention.

1 claim:

1 A carton tube for an article carrier having a pair of cells, comprising a. a first cell forming portion having a plurality of edge to edge consecutively articulated first wall panels, a first spine panel and a first glue flap;

b. said first spine panel being articulated to a panel at one end of said plurality of consecutively articulated first wall panels;

c. said first glue flap being articulated to said first spine panel at that edge remote fromsaid consecutively articulated panels and adhesively joined to the first wall panel at the other end of said plurality of consecutively articulated first wall panels;

. said plurality of first wall panels being folded along a first score line which defines an outer edge of said first cell forming portion;

. a first bottom panel articulated to an depending from a first wall panel adjoining said first score line;

. a second cell forming portion substantially identical to said first cell forming portion and having second consecutively articulated wall panels, a second spine panel and a second glue flap arranged in the same manner as the articulated panels, spine panel and glue flap of the first cell forming portion;

. said plurality of second wall panels being folded along a second score line which defines an outer edge of said secondcell forming portion;

h. a second bottom panel substantially identical to said first bottom wall panel articulated to and depending from a second wall panel adjoining said second score line;

i. said first and second cell forming portions being superimposed upon one another with said first and second spine panels in registry and being connected along a common score line articulating said first and second bottom panels to one another any by an adhesive at the interface between said first and second spine panels; and

j. interlock means adapted to mechanically lock said bottom panels to said spine panels.

2. The tube of claim 1, in which a. each of said cell forming portions includes said spine panel, four sidewall panels, and an end wall panel;

b. each of said bottom wall panels is articulated to said end wall panel. I

3. The tube of claim 1, in which a. said locking means includes a notch defined by at least one of said spine panels;

b. said notch being adapted to retain said bottom panel in a generally horizontal plane upon opening of said tube.

4. The tube of claim 1, in which a. said spine panels project above the upper edges of the remaining panels forming said cells; and

b. said adhered spine panels include registered handling holes therein. 

1. A carton tube for an article carrier having a pair of cells, comprising a. a first cell forming portion having a plurality of edge to edge consecutively articulated first wall panels, a first spine panel and a first glue flap; b. said first spine panel being articulated to a panel at one end of said plurality of consecutively articulated first wall panels; c. said first glue flap being articulated to said first spine panel at that edge remote from said consecutively articulated panels and adhesively joined to the first wall panel at the other end of said plurality of consecutively articulated first wall panels; d. said plurality of first wall panels being folded along a first score line which defines an outer edge of said first cell forming portion; e. a first bottom panel articulated to an depending from a first wall panel adjoining said first score line; f. a second cell forming portion substantially identical to said first cell forming portion and having second consecutively articulated wall panels, a second spine panel and a second glue flap arranged in the same manner as the articulated panels, spine panel and glue flap of the first cell forming portion; g. said plurality of second wall panels being folded along a second score line which defines an outer edge of said second cell forming portion; h. a second bottom panel substantially identical to said first bottom wall panel articulated to and depending from a second wall panel adjoining said second score line; i. said first and second cell forming portions being superimposed upon one another with said first and second spine panels in registry and being connected along a common score line articulating said first and second bottom panels to one another any by an adhesive at the interface between said first and second spine panels; and j. interlock means adapted to mechanically lock said bottom panels to said spine panels.
 2. The tube of claim 1, in which a. each of said cell forming portions includes said spine panel, four sidewall panels, and an end wall panel; b. each of said bottom wall panels is articulated to said end wall panel.
 3. The tube of claim 1, in which a. said locking means includes a notch defined by at least one of said spine panels; b. said notch being adapted to retain said bottom panel in a generally horizontal plane upon opening of said tube.
 4. The tube of claim 1, in which a. said spine panels project above the upper edges of the remaining panels forming said cells; and b. said adhered spine panels include registered handling holes therein. 